impunity - Haiti Observer Blog

If Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier had somehow thought Haitians had forgotten, the recent court ruling that reinstated the criminal case against him taught him otherwise. The despotic ruler, who inherited the presidency from his father at the age of 19, spent his years in power from 1971 to 1986 building his repertoire of fear and tyranny. The era ended with his overthrow in '86 and a 25-year exile he broke with his return in 2011.

With his return came the memory of what he is accused of--not to the victims of those crimes, but to the forefront of the law and the news. Many in the nation became greatly incensed when, upon his return, the polarizing man was seemingly greeted with open arms by the current president, who even renewed Duvalier's diplomatic passport.

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